New Look Lakers Net Preseason Win

Expectations have risen for the Los Angeles Lakers with the addition of star LeBron James and as the preseason grinds on, LA is looking to live up to them.

The Lakers picked up their first win of the preseason, a 128-123 victory over the Sacramento Kings, in which the Lakers’ young talent carried the team down the stretch. More important than the result was how LA achieved it. LeBron James rested down the stretch of the preseason contest, but Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma gained valuable experience making plays to close out a victory. On the postgame, Derek Fisher took notices of the strides made.

“These situations for the coaching staff and for these players, you can’t get this anywhere else. You can’t duplicate this in practice,” Fisher said. “These are things that (Ingram) can build on, and I know the coaching staff was happy to see them.”

Ingram particularly showed an ability to handle the ball and create offense with James on the bench, which could be crucial for the Lakers’ success this season. Ingram finished the night with 31 points and nine rebounds. With only a limited number of preseason contests to prepare for the games that count, D-Fish knows it’s extremely important for the Lakers to keep taking advantage of these opportunities as they look to return to the playoffs this season.